Parks & Recs
June 26, 2023
Hikers Are Dying on Texas Trails in Severe Heat
Recent tragedies in Big Bend and Palo Duro Canyon are a reminder to “respect the desert,” says one ranger.
More Stories
Books
June 26, 2023
Five Great Texas Parks and Books to Read in Them
Is there anything better than a good story with a view?
Libations
June 26, 2023
Eight Things You Need to Know About the History of Texas Whiskey
Andrew Braunberg, author of ‘Fires, Floods, Explosions, and Bloodshed: A History of Texas Whiskey,’ shares some fascinating details from his book.
Film & TV
June 23, 2023
Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ Made Me Feel Like I’m From Another Planet
The 1950s-set comedy is being hailed as the director’s best work in years, and I can’t figure out why.
Press Room
June 23, 2023
Texas Monthly Wins Five Medals From the Society of Publication Designers
It’s the most awards TM has received in one year from the organization in recent memory.
BBQ
June 23, 2023
This Barbecue Joint Made It Through Historic Rainfall with Sandbags and Prayers
As the flood waters rose in typically dry Amarillo, folks raced to fill up sandbags to protect Tyler's Barbeque from destruction.
Sponsored
June 23, 2023
Ramblin’ Through the State Parks
Rambler Sparkling Water has always been inspired by the wild places of Texas. Join Rambler in celebrating 100 years of Texas State Parks by visiting some of the best places across Texas to enjoy water and the outdoors.
One by Willie
June 23, 2023
Amanda Shires Pays Tribute to Her Hero and Friend Bobbie Nelson
The singer-songwriter and virtuoso fiddle player talks faith, family bands, and her new album of duets with Willie Nelson’s late sister.
News & Politics
June 22, 2023
Welcome to Houston’s No-Longer-Independent School District
The Texas Education Agency just took over the state’s largest school system. Parents and teachers are furious. But some city leaders insist that, after decades of poor performance by HISD, disruption is necessary.
Film & TV
June 22, 2023
The Future of Texas Film Is $200 Million Brighter
The Lege approved the highest film incentives budget the state has ever seen. Here's what that massive check means for productions and the biz overall.
Travel & Outdoors
June 22, 2023
National Parks Urgently Need More Funding, Says Outgoing Big Bend Superintendent
“There’s a tremendous disconnect between the expectations of the American public . . . and the National Park Service’s ability to do those things,” says Bob Krumenaker.
Politics & Policy
June 22, 2023
“The Most Abusive Environment I’ve Ever Worked In”: Former Employees of a State Legislator Tell All
Two high-profile workplace complaints made headlines at the Capitol this year, but insiders say others against Houston representative Shawn Thierry have been ignored.
Sports
June 22, 2023
Seriously, Could the San Antonio Spurs Be Any More Lucky?
They've won the NBA draft lottery three times. The first two landed David Robinson and Tim Duncan—now it's Victor Wembanyama's turn.
Art
June 21, 2023
The Best Books, Film, TV, Art, and More Coming to Texas This Summer
Meow Wolf finally opens! Jamie Foxx returns to Netflix! Erykah Badu is on tour! Vampires are at war?
The Stand Up Desk
June 21, 2023
Meet Executive Editor Michael Hall: Rock Star, Award-Winning Journalist, and a New Documentary’s Leading Man
Decades of his dogged reporting are receiving well-deserved recognition.
Books
June 21, 2023
Six Essential Texas Young Adult Novels for Your Summer Reading
Texas Monthly reporter Dan Solomon just published his first work of young adult fiction, ‘The Fight for Midnight.’ These are the books that inspired him.
The Stand Up Desk
June 21, 2023
Roar of the Crowd: July 2023
Reader letters published in our July 2023 issue.
Music
June 21, 2023
Balmorhea’s Music Is Unbound From Space and Time—but Not Texas
The Austin neoclassical group’s new album, ‘Pendant World,’ evokes the natural wonder of the Lone Star State.
Being Texan
June 20, 2023
Remembering LeAnn Mueller—the Legendary Photographer Who Shot Some of Texas Monthly’s Most Iconic Covers
Current and former staff members, along with her subjects, share memories of working with the revered “wild card” shutterbug.
Film & TV
June 20, 2023
For One Special Year, America’s First LGBTQ Cable Show Aired in Texas
'TV Montrose,' the lightning-in-a-bottle production that aired from 1998–1999, is being digitized by the University of Houston Special Collections Library.
Politics & Policy
June 20, 2023
In the Ken Paxton Impeachment Trial, GOP Megadonors Are Free to Tamper With the Jury
As celebrity lawyers feud in the press, Republican groups have launched an influence campaign in the Texas Senate.
Travel & Outdoors
June 20, 2023
Turn Off Your Mind and Float Downstream in Texas’s Best Lazy Rivers
Whether you seek tranquility or thrills, we've got you covered.
Texas History
June 20, 2023
What Hurricane Harvey Taught Us (and Didn’t Teach Us)
Six years ago, the mother of all storms arrived and brought home a lesson too many of us have refused to learn: our penchant for bravely adapting to circumstances has its limits.
True Crime
June 20, 2023
Everyone in Stephenville Thought They Knew Who Killed Susan Woods
That left the real culprit free to prey on others, including one victim who was ignored for two decades.
BBQ Joint Reviews
June 20, 2023
This Barbecue Joint Has a Unique Mission to Rehabilitate the Homeless Population
Hallelujah! BBQ, a part of Rescue Mission of El Paso, helps staff develop vocational skills to propel them to new lives while serving good barbecue along the way.
Stephenville
June 20, 2023
Stephenville, Episode 2: Michael
One thousand miles from Stephenville, a cloud of suspicion settles over one man.
Stephenville
June 20, 2023
Stephenville, Episode 1: Susan
In the first episode of the Texas Monthly true crime podcast, a father makes a tragic discovery, and an investigator gets to work.
Books
June 19, 2023
How Wendy Davis’s Famous Filibuster Inspired a YA Novel
Texas Monthly staffer Dan Solomon discusses his first book, ‘The Fight for Midnight,’ which comes out as we approach the ten-year anniversary of a dramatic day (and night) at the Legislature.
Politics & Policy
June 16, 2023
A Fort Worth Couple Challenged the Indian Child Welfare Act. They Lost.
The Brackeens sued after their initial petition to adopt a Navajo and Cherokee boy was denied. A 7–2 Supreme Court ruling represents a major win for tribal sovereignty.
Meanwhile, in Texas
June 16, 2023
Meanwhile, in Texas: Raccoons Transferred Into an Austin High School
Plus, a Houston bakery added a family-size croissant to its menu and a man fleeing from the police decided he was really, really hungry.
Politics & Policy
June 16, 2023
A German Flag Went Missing in WWII. It Was Recently Found in Houston—Then Went Missing Again.
The treasured banner was discovered in a Texas gun store, sparking questions about the repatriation of artifacts.
Texas History
June 16, 2023
Opal Lee, Fort Worth’s “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” Is Still Marching at 96
She led the movement to gain federal recognition of the holiday. This June 19, she’ll again walk 2.5 miles, marking the 2.5 years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas.
Parks & Recs
June 16, 2023
What Should Texas Do With $1 Billion for State Parks?
Lawmakers just authorized lots of money to acquire new parkland. We asked advocates and conservationists to dream big.
One by Willie
June 16, 2023
Willie Nelson’s Son Micah on Trigger, Roger Miller, and “Still Is Still Moving to Me”
On this special Father’s Day episode, Micah Nelson describes his dad’s “face-melting” guitar playing, plus his favorite sixties-era Willie song that most fans have forgotten.
BBQ
June 15, 2023
LeAnn Mueller, Barbecue Groundbreaker, Dies at 51
Along with opening la Barbecue, the first woman- and-lesbian-owned barbecue restaurant in Texas, she had a keen photographic eye and an irreverent sense of humor.
Books
June 15, 2023
Eleven Texas Writers Remember Cormac McCarthy
Sarah Bird, Fernando A. Flores, Mary Helen Specht, Sergio Troncoso, James Wade, and six more Texas writers reflect on what McCarthy meant to them and to the state.
Travel & Outdoors
June 15, 2023
Where to Eat, Shop, and Stroll in Salado
The Central Texas town has a lively arts scene with a picturesque creek running through it.
Sports
June 15, 2023
TCU’s “Wrecking Crew” Is Peaking Just in Time for the College World Series
The Horned Frogs have won 19 of their last 21 games and are undefeated in the postseason as they head to Omaha.
Health
June 15, 2023
When Vertigo Melted My Brain
Can medical science truly explain the mystical, mysterious experience triggered by a simple malfunction in my inner ear?
Travel & Outdoors
June 15, 2023
At 76, This Texas Surfer Is Still Chasing Waves—and Memories
A longtime Houston outdoor-sports writer looks back on sixty years of surfing the Gulf Coast.
Books
June 15, 2023
Ryan Holiday, the Stoic King of Bastrop County, Is the Man of the Moment
From a small bookstore in Central Texas, the best-selling author rules over the booming Stoicism self-help movement. Why now? Why here?
BBQ
June 15, 2023
To Sell His Barbecue at Grocery Stores, This Pitmaster Had to Have the Cleanest Smokers in the Biz
Kyle St. Clair went through an arduous inspection process to get his smokehouse USDA certified to sell packaged brisket and chicken.
Art
June 14, 2023
A True Swiftie Visits the Arlington Museum of Art’s Taylor Swift Exhibit
The superstar has a collection of memorabilia on display in North Texas. But for die-hard Taylor Swift fans, is it worth the trip?
Press Room
June 14, 2023
Honors for Two Texas Monthly Food Writers
Taco editor José R. Ralat won a second James Beard Media Award, and executive editor Patricia Sharpe was inducted into the Wine & Food Week Hall of Fame.
Made in Texas
June 14, 2023
A Physician Assistant Creates Small Worlds on Intricate Clay Earrings
Anna Simmers unwinds from long days at MD Anderson Cancer Center by bringing cityscapes, flowers, and art masterpieces to life.
Food & Drink
June 14, 2023
The Last Black-eyed Pea in Texas
The Dallas country-cooking chain started in 1975, and it’s down to just one location in Arlington. One writer makes a pilgrimage to learn about the folks keeping this place open and to stock up on rolls, fried okra, and squash casserole.
Medicine
June 14, 2023
Plasma Donation Is a Bloody Business at the Border
Thousands of Mexicans routinely cross into Texas to sell their vital bodily fluids for cash. Is that arrangement symbiotic—or exploitative?
Critters
June 14, 2023
All Hail Hardhead Catfish Dads, Which Protect Eggs by Carrying Them in Their Mouths
Anglers love to hate this slimy Texas fish, but its parental skills are unmatched.
TM BBQ Club
June 14, 2023
TM BBQ Fest: Early Bird Ticket Information
(Updated!) Everything you need to know to get early access to TM BBQ Fest tickets.
Film & TV
June 13, 2023
Meet the Texan Director Behind Some of Your Favorite TV Shows
‘Mad Men.’ ‘Homeland.’ ‘Love & Death.’ The current golden age of television wouldn’t be the same without the work of Dallas native Lesli Linka Glatter.